Saradha scam: BJP MP Kirti Azad vouches for Mamata Banerjee's honesty

Vouching for Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's honesty, BJP MP and former cricketer Kirti Azad on Saturday said that it was unthinkable for him to doubt her credentials as he had known her for over two decades.

Kolkata: Vouching for Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's honesty, BJP MP and former cricketer Kirti Azad on Saturday said that it was unthinkable for him to doubt her credentials as he had known her for over two decades.

"I cannot think in the wildest of my dreams that Mamatadi is dishonest. I have known her for more than two decades. I have family relations . She gives 'Bhai Phota' (a festival when sisters apply 'tilak' or 'teeka' on the forehead of brothers) to me, Azad who was here to attend a literary meet told PTI.

Azad, a Lok Sabha member said that his late father former Bihar Chief Minister Bhagwat Jha Azad had very good personal relations with Mamata Banerjee.

His comment came in the midst of demands recently raised by some opposition leaders both from the state Congress and CPI(M) including CPI(M) leader Surya Kanta Mishra and Congress leader Abdul Mannan that Banerjee should also be interrogated in the Sardha scam in which some of her party leaders have been arrested by CBI and a summon has been issued to party general secretary Mukul Roy by the CBI to appear before the agency.

When told about the Trinamool Congress's allegation of political vendetta against the TMC by the BJP and the party led government in relation to the Saradah Chit fund scam, the BJP MP said "In the past also it has been alleged by many.

It is matter of investigation. Let the authority do the same. If anyone has doubts regarding the credentials of CBI they can go to the court", he said.

"I have respect for the opposition as a politician", Azad said.

"We should respect our opposition. We should not put allegation on someone without proof. There are instances where serious allegations were made where people have been exonerated by the court," he said.

"No body should jump to conclusion without hard facts", the BJP MP said.